This article is part of a series, highlighting the importance of additive-free and authentic tequila, partnered by PATRÓN. Discover more at The World of PATRÓN.
Just because it’s Labor Day doesn’t mean you need to work overtime on the perfect cocktail. Quite the contrary. The formula for an ideal mixed drink is easy: great ingredients go in and a fantastic final product comes out. And whether you’re a home bartender or an accomplished mixologist, PATRÓN is always the best place to start. One of the world’s top-selling premium tequila is 100 percent additive-free, so its distinctive fresh agave notes shine bright in any arrangement.
PATRÓN Silver is a sterling example. As is the Reposado; aged between 2 to 12 months in American Oak, or the Añejo; aged for over a year. The entire lineup is distilled from patiently matured agave, selected for its high sugar-content. Each expression delivers sips alluringly smooth and demonstrates an incomparable versatility in cocktails. Sweet and fruity or herbaceous and savory? Smooth and silky or crisp and effervescent? These handcrafted spirits are ready to mingle with all flavors and mouthfeels. The proof is in the pour. Here’s a look at a diverse array of PATRÓN preparations guaranteed to impress this Labor Day—and beyond. Remember: Summer may be coming to an end, but great tequila is always in season.
Patrón Ranch Water
The simplest of sparkling tequila tipples results in one with an irresistibly refreshing taste. Tongue-tingling effects of soda water will also work to enliven your tastebuds, readying your senses for the smooth, vegetal tonalities of Silver to follow. This is Pure PATRÓN Patrón. From there, a slightly acidic handshake of citrus cuts Cutting through the drink’s minerality to further activate your senses is a slightly acidic handshake of citrus. For my money, no other cocktail can stand up to a summer day so convincingly.
Ingredients
● 1 ½ oz PATRÓN Silver
● ¾ oz lime juice
● 12 oz Bottle of Topo Chico
Directions
- Combine PATRÓN silver and lime juice In a Collins glass filled with ice.
- Top with Topo Chico (or your preferred soda water).
- Stir gently to combine.
Watermelon Basil Margarita
The Margarita is one of the most cherished cocktails on the planet today –– and for good reason. It offers sweetness, strength, and acidity in optimal balance. For those who believe the classic arrangement couldn’t possibly get any better, we humbly suggest the addition of watermelon and basil. Herbal and fruity infusions here echo and accentuate similar elements from the gently-aged tequila at its base.
Ingredients
● 1 ½ oz PATRÓN Reposado
● 1 oz Fresh watermelon juice or puree
● 1 oz Fresh lime juice
● 1 oz Agave nectar
● 3 Basil leaves or basil simple syrup
● Watermelon wedge or dehydrated lime wheel, for garnish
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
2. Fill the shaker with ice, then shake till chilled.
3. Strain onto fresh ice in a double old fashioned glass.
4. Garnish with a basil leaf and wedge of watermelon or dehydrated lime wheel.
Silver Spritz
If you welcome an opportunity to work with half a dozen-or-so ingredients in your cocktail prep, the silver spritz is the sipper you’ve been waiting for. This colorful combination of un-aged blanco with strawberry puree, blood orange juice, and sparkling wine is as invigorating as it is Instagram-able. Style and substance in equal measure, it works so well because it’s underpinned by a rich and earthy PATRÓN Silver. Only a superior tequila could effortlessly support such weight.
Ingredients
● 2 oz PATRÓN Silver
● 1 oz Strawberry puree
● ¾ oz Lemon juice
● ¾ oz Simple syrup
● ½ oz Blood orange juice
● Sparkling wine, to fill
● Blood orange slice, for garnish
Directions
1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake until chilled.
3. Double strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
4. Top with sparkling wine.
5. Garnish with blood orange slice.
Basil Lime Margarita
For the tequila fans out there craving something slightly more savory as summer winds down, the Basil Lime variation delivers in spades. The key to its success: Roca PATRÓN Silver. An artisanal elixir derived from a 500-year-old stone milling technique, this spirit offers elements of citrus zest, black pepper, and even cooked pumpkin—all of which balance beautifully against an herbal undercurrent, courtesy of fresh-pressed basil.
Ingredients
● 2 oz Roca PATRÓN Silver
● 1 oz Fresh lime juice
● 1 oz Simple syrup
● 4 Basil leaves
● Kosher salt, for rim
● Lime wheel, for garnish
Directions
1. Combine liquid ingredients and 3 basil leaves in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously with ice to chill.
2. Strain onto fresh ice in a rocks glass.
3. Garnish with a lime wheel and basil leaf.
Endless Summer
Not ready to say goodbye to summer just yet? Well, this particular preparation will warm you from the inside out. Built around PATRÓN Añejo; a luscious liquid flaunting pleasing notes of vanilla and caramel. The semi-sweetness is derived entirely from the barrel, the result of more than a year of patient aging in premium American Oak. Apricot brandy introduces an edge of marmalade, tempered by a light bitterness of grapefruit and vermouth. Top it all off with an invigorating splash of sparkling water and you’ve got the taste of summertime in a glass, yours for the pour.
Ingredients
● 1 oz PATRÓN Añejo
● 1 oz Sparkling water
● ¾ oz Fresh grapefruit juice
● ¾ oz MARTINI & ROSSI® Bianco Vermouth
● ¾ oz Apricot brandy
● Grapefruit slice, for garnish
Directions
1. Combine first four ingredients in a mixing glass.
2. Stir with ice to chill.
3. Strain onto fresh ice in a highball glass and top with sparkling water.
4. Garnish with a grapefruit slice.
This article is sponsored by PATRÓN.
